Mangalore, Mar 6: As per the direction of High Court to reserve the post of Mayor to a general category candidate, Corporators Mahabala Marla and Naveen D’Souza are the front runners to posts.
Apart from the theses two, the senior councilors like Harinath, Lancelot Pinto and Bhasker Moily are also in the race to achieve the top post.
Mahabala Marla has always kept a distance from all sorts of group politics for many years, while Naveen D’Souza has some chances as sitting MLA of the city belongs to the same community. Lancelot Pinto has earlier served as Deputy Mayor.
After a break of five-year, Congress returned to power in Mangalore City Corporation council on March 7, 2013. The congress had won 35 seats Of the 60 seats in the council, while BJP had won in 20, while the JD(S) had bagged two seats and one each to CPI(M), the Social Democratic Party of India and to an independent
Deputy Mayor is reserved to a general category woman candidate.